60+ holiday gift ideas for kids that boost brain development
Searching for holiday gift ideas that will promote fine motor, gross motor or sensory motor skills? Are you a professional working with families that are wanting recommendations for gifts that will help promote their child’s development? Want toys that will stand the test of time and get played with for longer than 5 minutes? As a pediatric Occupational Therapist here are my top brain-boosting toy pics for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The best part…just click the Amazon link below the image and you’ll be done with your holiday shopping in a jiffy!
'Tis the season for the annual toy tsunami! 🎄
The dreaded question of "What should we get the kids this year?" is right around the corner so you better get ready.
And let's be real – while you might be secretly hoping for a toy-free holiday (a parent can dream!), we all know those well-meaning relatives are going to shower your little ones with presents anyway.
So here's my thought: why not steer them toward toys that'll actually pull their weight in the development department?
After 24 years of watching kiddos play and grow as an Occupational Therapist, I've curated quite the collection of brain-boosting favorites, and I'm ready to share my favorites!
Quick side note though – the real magic happens when you get down on the floor and play together. Even the fanciest toy in the world can't beat quality time with a favorite grown-up!
Before we dive into my top picks, I want to share my super-secret toy-selecting formula. Trust me, this will save your sanity whether you're dodging other frantic shoppers in the toy aisle or doing that midnight Amazon scroll (we've all been there!)
4 things to consider before buying a toy
Not all toys are created equal!
And chances are, if you let your child search through toy catalogs or go with you to the store, they won’t be selecting the best toys that will hold their attention and enhance their development (toy marketers are really good at fooling our kids and us too!)
But worry no more…if you ask yourself these 4 questions, you’ll be on your way to selecting the perfect toy every time.
Can the toy be played with in multiple ways?
Generally speaking, if a toy needs batteries then it’s not able to be played with in multiple ways.
While a toy with lights and sounds can be exciting at first, your child will usually lose interest quickly if there are no choices to play with it differently.
A great example of a toy that can be played with in different ways is blocks.
You can build them into a tower, make them into a house, or build them into a spaceship. The list of creative ideas is endless.
2. Will the toy grow with your child?
Less is more, especially when it comes to toys.
If you have multiple children at home, finding toys that meet the needs of various ages and stages of development can help save your house from looking like a toy store (can anyone relate?)
One toy that was always a big hit in my home for many years was a cash register.
3. Does it promote creativity and imagination?
It's hard to get creative with toys that have lots of buttons, lights, and sounds because they do all the work for your child.
Generally speaking, if the toy needs batteries it is doing too much work for the child and not allowing their creativity to shine.
Some examples of toys that are simple and promote creativity are dress-up kits or puppets.
4. Does it encourage them to be active?
Young children learn by touching, moving, and doing.
They are not made to sit still for long periods.
Some of the best toys encourage children to move their bodies.
Now that you have these 4 principles of toy buying in your back pocket, I hope you feel ready to evaluate any toy in the store you may be considering this holiday season.
If you’re still not sure, here’s a list of tried and true awesome toys that your child is sure to love!
Affiliate links included below. See disclaimer for full details.
60+ toys that boost brain development
Brain development toys for infants
Fat Brain Toys Spin Again
One of my all-time favorites for babies and toddlers! (ok, ok…I’m a little addicted to this one too!)
Fat Brain Toys Tobbles Neo
A great alternative to blocks for young kiddos since they stack so easily!
Stacking Cups
A classic, must-have toy!
Squigz
Endless possibilities for creativity with these little suckers!
In my home we’ve use them in the bathtub and taken them on airplane trips (they stick to the laptrays and windows too!)
We’ve also used them on windows, sliding glass doors and on the tile floor to make a roadway for our matchbox cars.
Safe for mouthing and easy to clean. So fun!
Fischer Price Baby’s First Blocks
Great for little hands to explore and hours of entertainment to put in and dump out.
Grows with your child so they can work on skills such as matching shapes and making the pieces fit into the correct slot as they get older.
Nuby Bathtub Alphabet Set
Not only do these stick to the bathtub wall, but they are fun to stick to windows and sliding glass doors with a little water bottle sprayer. The perfect fine motor activity and busy activity for toddlers!
Tummy Time Mat
Tummy time is so important for little ones to develop head and trunk control. Keep them engaged a little longer with this tummy time mat.
⚠️Caution: Just make sure to always supervise your child when using this product.
Tummy time Mirror
Perfect to pair with the floor mat above!
Play Tunnel
Crawling is so important for developing a child’s strength and coordination. Keep them crawling longer by using this play tunnel and build into obstacle courses as your child needs more of a challenge.
O Ball
The perfect first ball for little fingers.
Brain development toys for toddlers
Crayola Palm Grasp Crayons
Perfect for little hands that are not ready to hold crayons with their fingers!
Melissa and Doug Cutting Food
This was a favorite for many years in my home. It was also a good way to involve them in “cooking” while I tried to prepare dinner many a nights.
Melissa and Doug Water Wow Books
These are great for the car or travel. Kids love water painting and parents love not having the mess!
There are lots more options for girls and boys including fairy tale and dinosaur themed books.
ThinkFun Roll and Play Game for Toddlers
A cute first game for building communication and connection.
Toddler Scavenger Hunt Cards
A great busy activity to pull out when you just need a few minutes to get something done at home without toddler hanging on your leg!
Construction Eating Plate and Utensils
Playing with food is a way to encourage picky eaters to interact and get more comfortable interacting with new foods. This plate and utensils make mealtime more fun!
Fischer-Price Little People Farm
A great toy to encourage pretend play and communication.
Board Books
Perfectly sized for little hands to hold and turn the pages.
Musical Instruments
A great way to engage multiple senses while having fun!
Melissa and Doug Let’s play house
Start ‘em young on those chores!
Melissa and Doug Play Kitchen
Our play kitchen was one of the toys that lasted the longest in our home. I believe it was played with for 7 years consistently. Well worth the investment!
Melissa and Doug Large Knobbed Puzzles
The knobs on this puzzle are perfect for little hands that are just learning how to match. There’s also a picture underneath the piece on the actual board to encourage matching skills.
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe
This is another toy that got many years of use. Encourages motor planning as your child will try to figure out how to get in/out and move it forward and backward. It also makes for a good push toy for early walkers.
Mega Blocks
The best set of first blocks. Easy for pulling apart and putting together to work on getting both hands working at the same time.
Bubble Machine
More bubbles, less work…hours of entertainment!
Water Play Sink
Kids love water and this is such a fun toy to promote pretend play skills, fine motor skills and communication.
Holiday gift ideas for preschoolers
Cash Register
I love this cash register! Perfect for little hands and grows with the child as they gain skills.
It targets visual motor and fine motor skills early on and later is great for sequencing, problem-solving, and math skills.
Melissa and Doug 100 piece block set
The perfect set to build endless possibilities.
100 piece Bristle Block Set
Another great option for building. Because they need to be pushed together, it’s a great way to strengthen little hands!
Magnet Blocks-100 piece set
One of our favorite purchases in my home. These still get played with by my older elementary-aged kiddos!
Learning Resources Gears, Gears, Gears!
Great for kiddos that love to make their blocks move and spin.
Toyvelt Screwdriver Toy Set
My boys love anything they can build. This set is great for sparking creativity and working on more difficult 2 handed skills and builds strength in their little fingers. Toyvelt also makes a dinosaur set and an automobile set too.
Rock Crayons
The next step up from the palm crayons for children who are ready to start using their fingers a little more!
Color Wonder Mess Free Paining
Painting without the mess!
Doll House
Lots of pretend play can happen here!
Firehouse/Police Station
And if your child isn’t into dolls, this house might be more their speed! I hated selling this one once my children were done playing with it. 😢
10 piece dress up set
Great for dress-up and have also been used as last-minute Halloween costumes in my home!
Melissa and Doug Hand Puppets
Great for a rainy day puppet show!
Strider bike
The best bike for young riders. Helps children learn to balance without needing to learn to pedal. After they master this bike, transitioning to a two-wheeler is a breeze!
All Better! by Usborne books
One of my kids all-time favorite board books. Use the reusable bandaids to make the animals boo-boos all better!
3 Wheeled Scooter
A three-wheeled scooter perfect for younger kids that are just learning to balance.
Melissa and Doug Small peg puzzles
This set encourages your child to use their fingers to hold the pieces but still has the matching image under the piece to help them with matching skills.
Play Doh Ultra Fun Factory
Everything you need to get started.
Kinetic Sand
I love the feel of this sand and the best part is that it doesn’t stick to you like regular sand! A great sensory experience.
Baby Stroller for baby doll
This one is better quality than some and has an extra storage pocket so your child can transport all their other goodies around.
B. Toys Pet Vet Clinic
This works on so many great skills including fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, matching, pretend play, communication skills and more!
Fort Building Kit
Building on a larger scale. Children will need to use their upper body strength to fit these pieces together while having fun building forts.
Stomp Rockets
A great way to burn some energy outside.
Animal figurines
So many ways to play with these figurines. They can also get added to lots of other play schemes. Just select your child’s favorite!
Light-up stepping stones
Great for a rainy day or nighttime. Work on balance, motor planning, color recognition, problem solving, and more!
Marble Run
Great to encourage critical thinking and problem solving as well as following directions.
How to encourage playing with new toys
It can be overwhelming when your child receives a lot of new toys at once.
Here are some things that we’ve done in our house to minimize the overwhelm:
Put away some of the gifts immediately after opening (without your child seeing where you put them, of course)
Select one or two new toys to play with each week.
Introduce a new way to play with the toy and model it for younger children and then let them have time to practice.
Rotate toys weekly or monthly so it keeps things exciting and less cluttered.
Limit the amount of toys in the playroom and designate a storage bin for each activity.
Did your child’s favorite toy make the list?
I hope this list eases your stress this time of the year so you can get back to enjoying the other things you like to do!
Make sure to pin this post to your Holiday Pinterest board and share on social media with family and friends who need some gift ideas this season!
